Anglo-Dutch food giant Unilever plans to lose 8,000 more jobs and close 30 plants as it integrates the recently acquired Bestfoods into its operations, a spokesman said on Friday. The 8,000 jobs come in addition to the 25,000 jobs the consumer products maker said it will cut over five years to recover from a slump in profits. The combined cut of 33,000 jobs represents 11 per cent of Unilever's worldwide work force of about 300,000 people. The job losses are part of the company's plans to reduce the number of core brands by 75 per cent to focus on its 400 leading products. Spokesman Tom Gordijn said the job losses will be at Bestfoods production sites in North America, Latin America and, to a lesser extent, in Europe. The company bought Bestfoods in June 2000 and acquired Ben and Jerry's ice cream and Slimfast foods later last year. The purchases cost more than $28 billion and made Unilever one of the largest food companies in the United States. Source:Associated Press
